Pages

Monday, June 27, 2011

"For I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord, "Plans to prosper and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Jeremiah 29:11

Prayer:

*to continue to trust God. Alacrity has been going through some rough spots and needs continuous prayer to trust God in these situations.

IJM Prayer List

"They will know that I am the Lord, when I break the bars of their yoke and rescue them from those who enslaved them."

— Ezekiel 34:12

Africa

Praise God that one of our clients in Zambia has just graduated from University and will begin teaching pre-school at a local private school. We are so grateful to see her begin this sustainable career and pray for God’s continued blessing.

Pray for our relationship with the Lands Registry in Uganda, where we work to secure the documentation that protects clients in their homes. The relationship between our offices has been recently improving and some of the back-logged cases have started to move. Please pray that we can continue a positive relationship with the Lands Registry that will help cases move more efficiently through the system.

Latin America

Pray that legal hearings would proceed according to schedule in the cases that IJM Bolivia is prosecuting. Many trials have recently been suspended or postponed because key trial participants have not shown up at the court. Pray that all required parties would be present and justice would be delivered swiftly to our clients.

Pray for a client of Paz y Esperanza, IJM’s casework alliance partner in Peru. Pray for protection and peace for this client who fears retaliation for reporting the abuse. Testifying against an abuser requires a great deal of courage from our clients many of whom must stand up to people with far more power than they have.

South Asia

Pray for wisdom and favor as IJM social workers explore possible partnerships with training institutes in South Asia. Pray that these partnerships would give former victims of sex trafficking a skill-set and sustainable jobs to support themselves and their families.

Pray for revisions currently underway to the Bonded Labor Handbook a tool used by government officials in South Asia to guide them in rescuing forced labor slaves and delivering justice according to the law. Pray that the government officials would prioritize updating this important guide.

Southeast Asia

Praise God that, this week, a well-established bar where minors and trafficked women were being sold for sex has been permanently closed by government authorities in Manila. IJM and the National Bureau of Investigations (the Philippine equivalent of the FBI) conducted a rescue operation at the bar six weeks ago, rescuing 14 girls who are now in an aftercare home. Pray that owners of other bars exploiting minors would fear similar just consequences for trafficking crimes.

Pray that God would bring talented, Christian professionals to join our team in the Philippines. Pray especially for a godly leader to serve as the National Advocacy Director and build support for anti-trafficking strategies with government officials and other influential people throughout the Philippines.

IJM HQ & Global Partners

IJM has partner offices in Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK

Pray for Jim Martin, IJM Vice President of Church Mobilization, as he speaks at Life Community Church in Quincy, MA, on Sunday morning as well as at a Community Awareness event in the evening.

Pray that God will provide committed and talented volunteers to support the efforts of IJM Germany, as the small team there seeks to raise awareness and support for IJM’s work throughout the nation.

Pray that IJM UK’s newsletter would touch the hearts of those who read it this week. Pray that our tools to share the message of justice in the UK would produce much fruit.

Please do Not hesitate to send in any prayer requests or Praises you have! We are more than happy to pray for you or rejoice with you!

Monday, June 20, 2011

‎"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. ."-1 Corinthians 10:13

Prayer:

*to stand firm in God, our solid rock, through all trials and temptations.

IJM Prayer List, June 16, 2011

"Again I looked and saw all the oppression that was taking place under the sun: I saw the tears of the oppressed--and they have no comforter; power was on the side of their oppressors--and they have no comforter."

— Ecclesiastes 4:1

Africa

Praise God that we have been able to hire a qualified new field investigator in our Kenya field office. Please pray for wisdom and favor for our investigative team in Kenya as they work with local police to build evidence for cases of illegal detention, child sexual abuse and police abuse.

Pray for good relationships between our investigators in Rwanda and the local police and government officials. Pray for strong partnership as we seek to work together to protect children from sexual violence.

Latin America

Please pray for the investigation of a homicide case that ASJ, IJM’s casework alliance partner in Honduras, is handling. Please pray specifically that all necessary evidence would be collected and that the witness would be willing to testify against the alleged perpetrators of the crime.

Praise God for his faithfulness to the Guatemala investigative team last week. Finding the roads closed on a trip, the team decided to make a detour through a rural district where they found a fugitive from a 2009 “cold case.” They worked with local police, who placed the suspect under arrest. He will now face trial on charges of sexual abuse. Please pray for God’s continued favor for the team that he would direct their paths in wisdom.

South Asia

Pray for sex trafficking survivors who live at the Mahima Aftercare Home in South Asia, who have begun studying at a new school this month. Pray that the girls will adjust to and thrive in this new environment.

Continue to pray for about 150 forced laborers who are still waiting to receive rehabilitation checks from the government. These funds can make a huge difference for former forced laborers as they rebuild their lives in freedom. Pray that the checks would be distributed by the government soon.

Pray that the former forced laborers who have completed IJM’s leadership training will emerge to be leaders in their communities.

Southeast Asia

Pray for wisdom and safety for the IJM Cambodia team as they partner with local police to combat sex trafficking.

Please pray that God will bless the efforts of our aftercare partners throughout Southeast Asia, who provide good, loving homes for survivors of sex trafficking.

IJM HQ & Global Partners

IJM has partner offices in Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK

Please pray for Larry Martin, IJM Senior Vice President of Education, as he speaks at Bay Marin Community Church in San Rafael, CA.

IJM Canada Executive Director Jamie McIntosh is travelling in Africa this week with a small group, including IJM Canada board members and other key stakeholders. Please pray for safe travels, that the team would be an encouragement to the field offices they visit, and that all participants on the trip would gain a clear understanding of IJM’s work in Africa.

Please do Not hesitate to send in any prayer requests or Praises you have! We are more than happy to pray for you or rejoice with you!

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Well bloggers, because of a full load we've been trying to do, we are switching our schedule around.

UPDATES:
* Every Monday will stay P&P'S

P&P: Mondays

Mondays are postings of Prayers and Praises. Prayer requests and praises, from me and other fellow bloggers.

* and the rest of the postings will be "news" on select days [not decided yet]

-news meaning: Current events, and all manner of current news and issues.

We are starting out at one posting a week, more to go from there.

Schedule

1. For news, current Events, concerts etc…There will be no specific day for that. As it comes up, I will post about it. Under this topic includes: IJM [and other organizations] events, Political news, as well as news on charity’s…and other.

2. P&P: Mondays

Mondays are postings of Prayers and Praises. Prayer requests and praises, from me and other fellow bloggers.

3. Weekly posting:

We will post once a week to start out, all categories listed below belong under "Weekly postings"

categories

*Thoughts on past notes and information I have collected over the years.Worldviews, relationships, True authority and much more.

*Fun, wacky, random facts, tips, information and all that jazz. [Have anything you want to have us post, e-mail us!]

*Reviews and interviews; Reviews: Movies, books, music…and other. Every Thursday when I post something new, I will also let you all know what the next weeks “topic” is. Reviews will be on current media as well as older works. Interviews will be with speakers, artists, writers and more.

*Issues teens face around the world. Brought to you specially by Megan.*Quote of the day:Inspirational quotes by authors, singers and speakers such as Alistair Begg, Bill Jack, John Piper, C.J Mahaney and more...*Think about that:Small posts with one to two thought provoking questions. Helping to equip your mind for what the world has to throw your way.

Monday, June 13, 2011

"For FREEDOM Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery." Galatians 5:1

Prayer:

*

IJM Prayer List

"Follow justice and justice alone, so that you may live and possess the land the Lord your God is giving you."

— Deuteronomy 16:20

Africa

Pray for our client in Uganda whose home and land were fraudulently sold to a government official. She returned from four years of medical care to find her home fenced off, and she has been homeless ever since. Please pray for wisdom and strategy for our IJM team as we seek to hold this official accountable and restore our client to her home quickly.

Pray for our continued recruitment for a candidate for the open position of Church and Community Relations Coordinator in Zambia. This position will be crucial to engaging the global church in our fight for justice. Please pray for our office as we continue to establish partnerships with other churches and NGOs in Zambia.

Latin America

Please pray for a client of IJM’s casework alliance partner Paz y Esperanza who has suffered greatly from the sexual abuse she experienced and has tried to commit suicide twice. Please pray for her emotional restoration and that the suicidal thoughts would cease. Also, please pray that her mother and brother, who have been threatened by the aggressor’s family, would have strength to continue to support this client through the trial process.

Please pray for safety and protection for the Paz y Esperanza team.

Please pray for a pilot project that IJM casework alliance partner ASJ is planning with the government. Please pray that the public justice officials would be attentive to the project and that it would be launched in the first part of this year.

South Asia

Praise God for a successful rescue operation that freed five people including two children from forced labor in a brick kiln on Tuesday. Our staff believe the laborers suffered physical abuse in the facility. They are now in their home village and will be served by IJM aftercare staff as they start new lives.

Please continue to pray for the 514 laborers rescued last month. Pray that they will overcome fear of the owners, that they will receive full rehabilitation funds from the government and will not go back to slavery.

Praise God for answering our prayers for excellent staff to fill key leadership positions in one of our South Asia offices. He has brought a new Director of Aftercare, Director of Legal, Director of Community Relations and Director of Administration! Pray that God would build up a strong and united leadership team within the office. Pray that these new leaders would see their roles clearly, and catch the mission of IJM as they begin their work.

Southeast Asia

Praise God for successful operations yesterday at two Phnom Penh brothels. Several girls and young women believed to be victims of sexual exploitation are giving their statements today, and 11 suspects were detained. Pray that God’s comfort would be with these girls, and the IJM staff and police working with them now.

Praise God for successful rescue operations at high-end entertainment establishments in Cebu and Manila, the Philippines, that were selling minors for sex. Pray for the dozens of trafficked women and girls who are now free, but face a long road to recovery. Pray that they will find grace and strength from the IJM aftercare staff as well as their home communities.

IJM HQ

Please pray for Mike Hogan, Director of Church Mobilization, as he speaks to the congregation of Lake Tapps Christian Church in Bonney Lake, WA.

Please pray for good contacts with churches, Christian organizations, leaders and politicians as IJM Germany works to build widespread awareness.

Please ask God for wisdom and resources as IJM Germany works to secure the human and financial resources necessary to build the movement in Germany.

Pray for the ongoing strategic planning process that the IJM Canada office is going through.

Please do Not hesitate to send in any prayer requests or Praises you have! We are more than happy to pray for you or rejoice with you!

Monday, June 6, 2011

"Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love" 1 Corinthians 16:13-14

Prayer:

* to be able to continually spread the Gospel to all, through our blogging, writing, speaking and the way we live our lives.

IJM Prayer List

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

— Acts 1:8

Africa

Continue to pray for the cases of two very young clients of sexual abuse in Rwanda. As these two children continue in the court process, pray that they and their families would have courage. Pray also for continued emotional and physical healing, and that, as they grow they would find peace, healing and God’s comfort.

Praise God that last week two young men who had been falsely accused of theft and jailed were both vindicated through IJM legal representation in court in Kenya.

Latin America

Please pray for IJM Guatemala client Olivia,* who was allegedly sexually abused by a doctor and by her two older cousins who lived with her. Olivia and her little brother were rescued and brought to a safe children’s home to protect them from future abuse. Recently, Olivia ran away from the children’s home. She has now been placed in a government-run home for children. Please pray for Olivia’s restoration and that she would be filled with peace.

Please pray for the open staff positions in the IJM Bolivia office. Please pray for wisdom and discernment as the team makes hiring decisions and pray that the right people would be identified and hired soon. Also, please pray that the team would be strengthened now as they work with fewer staff.

Last week, the perpetrator in an IJM Guatemala case was sentenced to 124 years in prison for the serial rape and abuse of his daughters. Pray for this man as he begins to serve this sentence, the longest ever issued in an IJM Guatemala case. Pray for his children, who are now healing in safe new homes. Pray that God would grant these children peace and restore them to wholeness after suffering years of abuse.

South Asia

Please pray that we would find a new location for one of the South Asia field offices, in order to move in 2012.

Please pray for the aftercare team addressing forced labor in South Asia as they review and revise current practices. Pray for a good relationship with their partner NGO in a neighboring state, and that quality care would be provided to their clients who have returned there.

Plans to open a new transitional aftercare home for sex trafficking victims in South Asia are progressing well. Please pray that the IJM aftercare team and the NGO we are partnering with would find a safe location, and pray for discernment in hiring great staff.

Praise God for a critical arrest achieved this week in a case against suspected sex traffickers.

Southeast Asia

Praise God that two young girls rescued from a foreign pedophile who lived in their small village in Cambodia are recovering in loving aftercare homes. Pray for continued courage and strength for the girls as well as their families. Pray that justice will be done and the suspected perpetrator will be held accountable. Praise God for his faithfulness in this case.

Pray for the IJM Thailand staff, who have assisted the government with an official nationwide survey to documenting people living in Thailand. Pray that the individuals who are now officially counted will be registered as Thai citizens a critical step in reducing their vulnerability to violent abuse.

IJM HQ & Global Partners

IJM has partner offices in Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK

Praise God for the great success of IJM Germany’s seven-day bike tour in April, in which a team of up to fifteen riders pedaled from Strasbourg to Berlin to share God’s heart for justice. God blessed us with safety, joy, and wonderful engagements with several new churches. Please pray for God’s favor as we engage several of these churches in becoming new church partners.

Praise God for his presence with and refreshment of the IJM Canada team during our prayer retreat earlier this week.

Pray for IJM Director of Operations for Africa Philip Langford as he shares at North Park Community Church in London, ON.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Thanks to Melanie Siewert for providing this review for The Worship Community!

Laura Story’s latest album, “Blessings” (released April 12, 2011), has a sweet and tender feel to it. Each song expresses a heart after God’s own heart in a posture of praise and worship. Following the successes of “Indescribable” and “Mighty To Save,” this latest release has some potential of use in worship gatherings. Laura’s style of music in this release has more pop with some piano-driven instrumentation. Although the style falls a little short of the more popular “worship styles” of today, her lyrics in every song cut through with messages and expressions of encouragement, healing, reflection, praise and worship. Here is a break down of each song:

“Faithful God” uses the Psalms to express the faithfulness of the God she admires. Overall, she desires to be just as faithful to those in need as God is faithful with her whether she experiences joy or suffering. To drive the theme home, a powerful choir joins her in the bridge and finishes with the song’s title. The melody has that “drawing in” factor that makes it accessible for most worship settings (with or without a choir).

“Remember” is a song of communion. As we celebrate God’s victory at the cross of our Savior, we cry out to the Father, Son and Holy Sprit to help us remember everything the Savior has done. It’s a great message of what we should reflect on as we take communion together. Whether used as a “special” or a corporate worship song, it’s a beautiful ballad that has an appeal to “do in remembrance of” our Savior.

“Prodigal Song” is another retelling of the “prodigal son” in a modern setting from the dad’s perspective. The dad is sitting on the front porch rocking chair eagerly hoping for the return of his lost son with arms still open to receive his son. “And he is watching, and he is hoping, his eyes are weary; his arms are still open” is a tender reminder of how much our heavenly Father desires us to “please come home.”

“One Life to Lose” is a song of surrender, desiring the new life to come and the old life to lose. It is a piano-driven song that expresses the struggle between the flesh and the spirit. We’ll find that when we are lost, that’s when we are found. Stylistically, it has the same feel as many songs on the Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) radio stations.

“Your Name Will Be Praised” is all about Jesus and praising His name. The melody has a nice hook to it. So, it has a versatility that would allow it to be played in various styles and still maintain its powerful worship expression through the lyrics and melody. The entire song expresses attributes of Jesus and why his name will be praised. This would make a great addition to the Sunday morning set lists.

“Blessings” is a beautiful and powerful ballad about how we pray for various blessings, get upset when we think God doesn’t hear us, and yet the Lord provides those blessings in subtle ways unaware to us. In a sense, God’s blessings sometimes become “mercies in disguise.” It’s a great reminder to the listener that when circumstances seem tough to us, it is highly possible God is protecting us from something else. “What if trials of this life are your mercies in disguise” rings so true!

“What a Savior” expresses the attributes of the Christ we serve. The chorus has a powerful hook that could certainly be used in a musical worship setting. Like any good hook, the versatility allows the song in any style and yet still maintains a powerful message of how great our God is, and how wonderful our Savior is.

“You Are Love” is another heart-overflowing worship song that is accessible for various worship gatherings. The verses are versatile for most female singers, but the chorus ends higher than what most female singers can reach. If there are female vocals in the group that have a decent and powerful range, this song would be great to put in the worship song tool box. The chorus also has a choir backing to it, which makes it a good song to include in a choir-based worship gathering. Lyrically, it is very powerful (as most of Laura Story’s songs are), and would make a great addition to a set list.

“Friend of Sinners” is a song of Christ-likeness. It expresses how much we should imitate the Savior having a heart for the broken. Stylistically, it has the same “adult-contemporary” feel to it that we hear on most Christian radio stations. Lyrically, it expresses what our daily Christian living should be; a servant to all.

“This is the Day” starts off with a powerful violin section and keyboard. The message is powerful, pointing to the day of salvation. It expresses the heart of the new believer beginning to live a life of praise because of the work of the cross. A new Christ follower can easily connect with this song because of the nature of the message. “Come let us be glad; come let us rejoice” is a call to all believers to rejoice that people have decided to die to themselves and live in Christ. It reminds me of the parable of the lost coin in Luke 15:8-10. Jesus said, “I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.

Overall, there are a few songs that would work pretty well in the music portion of corporate worship gatherings, and others would work well for a more private and intimate worship setting. Laura Story is a name no one should forget when it comes to worship music. She has a heart after God’s own heart, and it’s evident in her lyrics and her testimony. Her voice is pure like the springtime rains, and her style is so sweet and tender.

For those who musically enjoy the Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) genre, this is a really good group of songs to worship with. For those who enjoy other genres, Laura Story’s lyrics make up for it; the melodic hooks make for easy arrangements of other music styles. Regardless of whether or not you like the CCM genre, melodies and lyrics are the heart of every song. If the message of song meets the message of the heart, try applying some of these songs in your preferred style. A heart after God’s heart is always satisfied, and that’s where we receive his “Blessings.”

Melanie is a Christ follower, wife to a wonderful man of God, and mother of two incredible boys. She has several years experience mentoring high school worship bands, and desires to continually write music for the Lord’s church.

Editors Notes:

This CD especially has ministered to me in a unique way. Just recently I went through a really hard trial of betrayal. I listened to the song "Blessings" over and over again to remind myself that this world is not our home! Our ultimate goal is heaven and furthering the Kingdom of God. I hope this CD will bring you as much peace as it has me!